I do my best to keep this blog non-partisan and believe me, I have strong opinions that are hard to keep silent sometimes. But I will say this: I have a certain admiration for all men who have been part...
EL AL’s Beautiful New 787 Dreamliner: Pictures + Video
EL AL has unveiled its new 787 Dreamliner that will become the core of its longhaul fleet. With 16 orders on the way (nine 787-9 and seven 787-8), EL AL will finally have a competitive business class product. The initial renderings...
No, We Are Not Revolting! A United FA Rebuttal to Matthew
My recent story entitled Flight Attendant Revolt Over New United Premium Transcontinental Service created a firestorm of controversy. Many United FAs chimed in, condemning me for addressing the topic in the manner in which I did. Several FAs emailed me as well,...
Review: Elemis Spa London Heathrow
Inside the British Airways lounge complex in Heathrow Terminal 5 is an Elemis Spa designed for business and first class passengers as well as those holding an Executive Club Gold card. Premium passengers can enjoy a complimentary 15-mintue treatment...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: June 11, 2017
Good evening from 38,000 feet over the Great Plains. I’m enroute from Minneapolis to Los Angeles after a great weekend at FTU in Minneapolis. I was happy to meet many readers and I’m excited to announce the next FTU will happen in...
Green Sand Beach: Papakolea in Hawaii
During a recent trip to Hawaii, my family got to take full advantage of the natural beauty of the island. By far, one of the most breathtaking and adventurous, was the journey to the green sand beach, and view...
Breaking: China Eastern Flight Emergency Landing
If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. According to sources including the South China Morning Post, a China Eastern A330...
Conrad Bangkok Lounge: Unnecessarily Formal Attire
The Conrad Bangkok offers an executive lounge for their Gold and Diamond guests as well as those paying for premium access and suites. In the morning it offers an extensive hot buffet and in the evening cocktails and snacks....
American Executive Platinum Status: Time to Let Go
Elite status is valuable to me, as a frequent traveler, for a number of reasons but over the last two years, changes to American Airline Advantage program are causing me to ask if it’s time to let go of...
Afternoon Tea: United Airlines vs. British Airways
United Airlines no longer serves afternoon tea onboard its westbound flights from London. Still, I thought I would compare tea service on United and British Airways this week for my Meal of the Week installment. Why? Rumors are swirling that...
Free Lounge Access at LAX for United Star Golds
Earlier today I wrote about the new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in Terminal 6 at LAX. This lounge, along with the Star Alliance Lounge in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, presents two superb free lounge options for United...
Odd Upgrade Pricing on Sun Country Airlines
My job is to analyze airlines, but sometimes I encounter things I cannot explain. Upgrades on Sun Country Airlines are one of them. Yesterday I flew from Los Angeles to Minneapolis on Sun Country. It was my first time...
First Look: New LAX T6 Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge
Air Canada has moved from Terminal 2 to Terminal 6 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As part of the move, it has opened a brand new Maple Leaf lounge in T6 that is small but outstanding. First, the bad...
Review: Biman Bangladesh 737-800 Economy Class Bangkok to Dhaka
I bought my ticket the day before travel and was quite disappointed to see that business class had sold out. With no formal reviews online of Biman Bangladesh, I had no idea what to expect and braced myself for a wild...
SWISS Neutrality Continues on Secret Fifth Freedom Route
In thinking about the whole mess in Qatar, I had to chuckle that the Swiss have found a way to play peacemaker: a Fifth Freedom route between Muscat and Dubai. Each evening at 9:25p a SWISS A330 departs Dubai,...
EU Makes It Easier for Carriers to Legally Challenge Gulf Rivals
Protectionism is the darling of populist movements and populism is alive and well around the world today. Now the EU plans to make it easier for European carriers to lodge anti-competitive complaints against foreign rivals. If the discourse in Europe even remotely resembles the...
Oman Air a Big Winner in Qatar Crisis
What happens when you need to travel between Saudi Arabia or the UAE and Doha? Answer: take Oman Air. As one of the easiest way to sidestep the Qatar embargo, the Omani national airline has found itself suddenly in...
Review: American Airlines A321 First Class New York to Los Angeles
As the last carrier to offer a true three-cabin first class product between New York JFK and Los Angeles/San Francisco, American can approach its competitive advantage in three ways: offer a truly compelling product, a marginally better product than the...
Bad News: Iberia Awards Now Bookable Online with AA Miles
Bad news or good news: it all depends on how you look at it. American Airlines now lets you book awards on oneworld partner Iberia online. That’s great news for those who never knew Iberia existed, but bad news for...
A Glowing Review of Delta from My German Cousins
I have German cousins in town this week and around the dinner table last night, they showered Delta Air Lines with praise. They flew economy class from Stuttgart to Atlanta and exclaimed, “Never have we had so much food on...
